Four severe U.S. weather events were confirmed in June, bringing the number of billion-dollar disasters in the nation this year up to more than a dozen.
The country suffered 15 separate billion-dollar weather and climate events between January and June, with a combined economic toll of about $37 billion, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Since 1980, the U.S. has now experienced 391 such events, which together have caused more than $2.755 trillion worth of damage.
Related: The 'safe' threshold for global warming will be passed in just 6 years, scientists say
There were a variety of extreme weather events across the U.S. in June, as NOAA noted. In San Joaquin County, California, for example, the Correll Fire began on June 1 and burned more than 14,000 acres (5,666 hectares).
To the north, in Deschutes County, Oregon, the Darlene 3 Fire sparked on June 25 and charred more than 3,800 acres (1,538 hectares). A severe thunderstorm dropped a monster of a hailstone in the Texas panhandle on June 2 that could set a new state record at more than 6.25 inches (15.9 centimeters) in diameter.
In the Atlantic basin, the first named storm of the season, Alberto, made landfall as a tropical storm in Mexico on June 20 and brought some communities in Texas nearly three times the monthly average for rainfall within 48 hours.
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This past June was Earth's warmest June on record and the planet's 13th month in a row of record-high temperatures, NOAA officials said in an X post.
.@NOAA: June 2024 was Earth's warmest June on record and the world's 13th consecutive month of record-warm temperatures. This ties May 2015-May 2016 for the longest record-warm global temperature streak in the modern record. https://t.co/Kl5iKemsKc #StateOfClimate #Climate pic.twitter.com/H7TSjbvswPJuly 12, 2024
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Droughts — one of the direct consequences of human-driven climate change — afflicted a variety of regions around the United States last month. According to the July 2 U.S. Drought Monitor Report, there was a 6% increase since the end of May in the area of the contiguous U.S. experiencing drought conditions, bringing the total to 19%. Droughts intensified in most of the Southeast, much of the Mid-Atlantic region and portions of the Ohio Valley, Tennessee, eastern Oklahoma and the northern Plains. The Southwest, Kansas, the panhandle of Oklahoma, southern Texas and southern Florida, on the other hand, saw a reduction in drought intensity.
Heat was a big topic yet again; this past June ranked as the second-warmest June on record for the contiguous U.S. over the past 130 years. Looking at the six-month period between January and June, the average contiguous U.S. temperature was confirmed to be the second warmest on record, at 50.9 degrees Fahrenheit (10.5 degrees Celsius), according to NOAA.
Coast to coast, temperatures were above average for nearly every state, with record warmth in parts of the Northeast, Great Lakes, southern Plains and Mid-Atlantic. During this period, three states experienced their warmest-ever temperatures, including New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
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Meredith Garofalo
Contributing Writer
Meredith is a regional Murrow award-winning Certified Broadcast Meteorologist and science/space correspondent. She most recently was a Freelance Meteorologist for NY 1 in New York City & the 19 First Alert Weather Team in Cleveland. A self-described "Rocket Girl," Meredith's personal and professional work has drawn recognition over the last decade, including the inaugural Valparaiso University Alumni Association First Decade Achievement Award, two special reports in News 12's Climate Special "Saving Our Shores" that won a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award, multiple Fair Media Council Folio & Press Club of Long Island awards for meteorology & reporting, and a Long Island Business News & NYC TV Week "40 Under 40" Award.
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3 CommentsComment from the forums
Helio There is no reason, IMO, to doubt the view that the planet is warming. I'm not convinced, however, that weather events are suddenly unnatural, in the sense they would not occur a decade or so ago. Where are all the extreme hurricanes that had been projected, for instance.?
As for fires...Such evidence suggests Climate Change might be responsible, however, it isn't that compelling when we see the actual history, including the losses from the 1930's. Are the extremes of more recent fires greater due to Climate Change, I suspect so, but, once again, the argument is a matter of degree more than kind. How sensitive is our planet to things like CO2? That is and incredibly difficult answer to nail down and it's what scientists are really working hard to solve. Until then, scrutiny, which is that core of all science, should be respected.
As for fires.... From Earth.org https://earth.org/worst-wildfires-in-us-history/]
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billslugg A good example of the complexity is "sea level rise" in the Mississippi delta. The problem has three components, of roughly equal magnitude: 1) Holocene sediment compaction not being mitigated by silt replacement due to channeling for navigation 2) Groundwater extraction 3) Sea level rise.
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Classical Motion I think we are in a warming period. How much is debatable. Why is debatable.
I want to see how much temp increase is caused by CO2. I think CO2 will help green and refresh the planet.
I think H2O controls our temp. And I believe it oscillates in it’s own range. It’s own band.
But it’s just a thought.
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